Switch for floor lamps



Jan.'3, 1950 J. M. PUFFER SWITCH FOR FLOOR LAMPS Filed Aug. 12, 1947 Inwnior: W 7/2 Patented Jan. 3, 1950 U Nil TED STAT ES PF?! C E SWITCH FOR F oon LAMPS Joseph M. Puffer, Melrose, Mass. Application August 12, 194i, Serial No. 758,177

This invention relates to improvements in switches for floor lamps and particularly floor lamps having combinations of bulbs which can :cated and diflicult to find in darkness or semidarkness.

It is an object of the present invention to provide switches for lamps of this general description, the switches being conveniently located and easy to find and operate by the sense of touch.

It is a further object of the invention to provide improved switch structure enabling the operator to connect or disconnect the lamps in various combinations at will without the necessity of going through a cycle of combinations, as is customary with most lamps of this type.

For a more complete understanding of, the invention, reference can be made to the following description thereof and to the drawing, of which Figure 1 is a sectional view of a switch structure embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevation of one of the members shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 1 illustrates a portion of the column oi a floor lamp which is supported by the customary base (not shown) and, in turn, supports any desired combination of bulbs, sockets, reflectors, shades, etc., which are characteristic of floor lamps. At the center of the column is a stem In which may conveniently be an iron pipe. This is the :member which provides mechanical strength for supporting the upper works of the lamp. This member can be utilized to serve as an electric current conductor, or, if preferred, a wire may be extended therethrough instead; as shown in Figure 1 it is supposed to be employed as a conductor.

Secured to an intermediate portion of the stem Ill at a convenient level are two collars I2 and I4 of insulating material, one of these collars being illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the other collar being similar in structure. Each collar consists of a disk 16 having a central aperture 2 Claims. (Cl. 200--'-52) 1a through which the stem Ill extends. A

bracket 28 extends from the rim of the disk l6 in a direction parallel to the axis of the disk.

"On the bracket 20 are mounted two resilient switch el'er'nents 22 and '24, these elements being preferably strips of spring brass bent to desired shape.

'- The collarsl2 and 14 are fixed to the stem In by any suitable means such as set screws 26.. Between the collars l2 and J4, and supported there- "by, is a metal cylinder 28 which is connected by the wire 31! to one "pole of the "house electrical circuit, the stern lll being connected to the other pole; The cylinder 28 serves as a switch element or distributor to connect the wire 30 selectively with either or both of the switch elements 22 and 24. In like manner, the lower collar 14 supports a pair of switch elements 32 and 34. The switch elements 22, 24, 32 and 34 tend to press against the charged distributor 28 and are connected respectively through the various lead wires 36, 38, 4|] and 42 to the several lamps supported by the column. The wires 40 and 42 pass through suitable apertures 44 in the collars l2 and M.

In order to disconnect the switch elements from the distributor 28, I provide twosleeves and 52 which fit loosely on and are rotatable about the upper and lower portions respectively of the distributor 28. These sleeves are provided with disks or flanges 54 and 56, respectively, having cylindrical rims 51 and 58 which can be conveniently grasped to rotate the sleeves.

The upper sleeve 50 is peripherally grooved as at 60 and 62, the spring conductors 22 and 24 riding in these respective grooves. As shown in Figure 2, the groove 60 is provided with a number of shallow recesses 66 and two apertures 68 and 10, the apertures being of suflicient size to permit the element 22 to come in contact with the distributor 28 when one of these apertures registers with the switch element. In like manner, the lower groove 62, as shown in Figure 3, is provided with a series of recesses 12 and two apertures 14 and 16, through which the switch elements 24 can press against the distributor 28.

When the sleeve 50- is in the angular position shown in Figures 2 and 3, the element 22 is in contact with the distributor 28 but the element 24 is held out of contact therewith. Thus, the wire 36 is in a completed circuit through the lamp or lamp filament to which it is connected, whereas, the wire 38 is disconnected from the distributor 28 and, consequently, is in an open circuit. If the sleeve 50 is rotated so that the apertures H3 and I4 register with the elements 22 and 24, then both wires 36 and 38 are in closed circuits. It is also evident that when the aperture I6 registers with the element 24 so as to put the wire 38 in a closed circuit, then the element 22 will be in one of the shallow recesses 66 and consequently out of contact with the distributor 28.

The lower sleeve 52 is provided with grooves,

recesses and apertures similarto those of the 1 sleeve 50 so that the conductors 32 and 34 can be connected singly or together in closed circuits through the respective lamps or filaments to which they are connected.

The column also includes a protective and ornamental sheath which is horizontally split so that it has an upper portion 80 which extends down from the lamp brackets to the flange 54, and a lower portion 82 which extends from the flange 56 down to thebase of the column. The

flanges 54 and 56 project outward through the split and the diameter of the rims 51 and 58 are preferably of greater diameter than that of the sheath. Hence, when the lamp is groped for in darkness and the column is found, the hand of .7

the operator slides along the column until the rims 51 and 58 are felt. The rims are then easily rotated to turn on any desired combination of the bulbs in the lamp.

I claim: I

1. In a floor lamp column, a, central rigid stem, a metal cylinder surrounding an intermediate portion of said stem and electrically insulated therefrom, a plurality of resilient switch eleand spaced from said stem, a resilient switch element carried by one of said collars and arranged to press against said cylinder, a sleeve of insulating material loosely fitted on said cylinder and interposed between the cylinder and said switch element, said sleeve having an aperture therethrough to permit the element to touch the cylinder when the aperture registers with the element, and a flange on said sleeve having a rim manually engageable to rotate the sleeve so as to move said aperture into and out of registry with said-switch element.

. JOSEPH M. PUFFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 30

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Thornton July 21, 1936 Number 

